HIPPODROME CINEMA
Gainesville's finest cinema house since 1981.

Mister Foe

"I like creepy guys," says Kate Breck (Sophia Myles), in a bar, after one too many drinks, to the young lad named Hallam Foe. In Mister Foe - a pervy and poignant tale of a boy on the brink of manhood, still reeling from the death of his mother - the late-20s Kate and the just-18 Hallam tumble into a strange romance. Jamie Bell ('Billy' in Billy Elliot) is Hallam Foe, a troubled young man whose knack for voyeurism paradoxically reveals his darkest fears, and his most peculiar desires. Driven to expose the true cause of his mother’s death, he instead finds himself searching the rooftops of the city of Edinburgh for love. Able to navigate the necessary social routes to gain employment and get along with coworkers, Hallam is nonetheless seriously lost in his own universe: grieving, fantasizing, plotting revenge. He's sure his stepmother killed his mum and made it look like suicide. And he holds his father in contempt for having an affair with this "white trash gold digger" who's now part of the family. Beautifully shot, with a melancholy, jangling pop soundtrack and a beguiling turn from actress Myles, Mister Foe is much more than just another well-made coming-of-age drama. It goes deeper, and stays longer, kicking around in your head. Featuring a lively soundtrack with Franz Ferdinand, Sons and Daughters and Orange Juice among others, MISTER FOE is a darkly twisted, entertaining work of magical realism from one of the leading lights of the new Scottish cinema. 95mins/ 2007/ Scotland/ NR
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A Dios Momo
(Goodbye Momo)

Part of the Latino Film Festival

Obdulio, an 11-year-old Afro-Uruguayan boy, can neither read nor write and lives with his sisters and grandmother and helps support them by selling newspapers - One evening, he discovers that the night watchman at the newspaper is a magical Maestro, who introduces him to the power of literacy and the meaning of life - Against the backdrop of Uruguay's provocatively stimulating carnival, the Maestro teaches Obdulio about life through the lyrics of the Murgas, the songs of the carnival. In the tradition of magic realism, director Leonardo Ricagni uses the carnival atmosphere to transport viewers to an enchanted time and place where reality and dreams collide. 108min/ 2006-Uruguay/ Spanish/ NR
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My American Girls

Part of the Caribbean Migration Film Series

In vivid verite detail, MY AMERICAN GIRLS chronicles the joys and struggles over a year in the lives of the Ortiz family, first generation immigrants from the Dominican Republic. Matthews' film captures the rewards - and costs - of pursuing the American dream. From hard-working parents, who imagine retiring to their rural homeland, to fast-tracking American-born daughters, caught between their parent's values and their own, the film encompasses the contradictions of contemporary immigrant life. 62min/ 2001/ NR

In Search of a Midnight Kiss

Funny, quirky, and bittersweet, In Search of a Midnight Kiss is a romantic comedy with a heart and a brain -- and stands as a sharp debut for director Alex Holdridge. This indie flick is a crude and tender riff on romance with a script that crackles with deadpan, spiky humour. It’s New Year’s Eve in Alex Holdridge’s monochrome, nouvelle vague version of Los Angeles and 20-something Wilson (Scoot McNairy) has no one to kiss. But a craigslist ad brings him Vivian (Sara Simmonds), and maybe they won't be alone at the stroke of midnight. The heart of the film unfolds on the streets as Wilson and Vivian wander about the city. This is the central LA of abandoned theatres, tired pavements and office plazas – miles from Hollywood – and Holdridge does a great job of turning it into a theatre and sucking up all that it has to offer. He reminds us how lonely the city can be. As we look at Wilson and Vivian standing in an empty theatre, marveling at the ceiling and enjoying each other’s company, we thank God for craigslist, even if he’s trying to discuss art and she insists on talking about the cool rooftop pool at the Standard Hotel. Shot in black and white, this sweet indie comedy has won hearts at festivals across the country. Legendary KCRW music director Nick Harcourt plays a radio DJ. 90mins/ 2007/ USA/ NR
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Dance of My Heart

Part of the Latino Film Festival

Over decades and across nations, Alberto Alonso, the master artist-in-residence at Santa Fe Community College has witnessed and participated in ballet's many metamorphoses throughout the 20th century. In his youth, Alonso was a soloist with the celebrated companies American Ballet Theatre and Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. He also co-founded the Ballet Nacional de Cuba and pioneered the Cuban style of ballet. Alonso's life and career is the focus of Dance of My Heart, a SFCC-produced documentary. The film offers an inspiring look at the artist's cultural identity, personal illness, political struggles and family bonds; combining recent scenes of Alonso directing SFCC classes and rehearsals with archival footage and photos. Viewers also see a satisfying array of performance clips by Plisetskaya, in addition to current dancers from the Bolshoi and Sarasota Ballet companies.

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